Max dominance ‘won’t carry on’

Max Verstappen’s dominance of Formula One must be “celebrated and not chastised”, former team boss Otmar Szafnauer has said.

The Red Bull driver is on course to take his fourth world championship in as many seasons after winning four of the opening five rounds.

But speaking ahead of this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, Szafnauer, who served as team principal at Aston

Martin and Alpine, said: “You can’t get rid of

Max. The sport has gone through this before. Max will not be champion forever, and it will change.

“We have had Michael (Schumacher) and Lewis (Hamilton) dominating

British medal hopeful Ondine Achampong, 20, looks set to miss this summer’s Olympics after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament. “As most of you know I had to pull out of the European in the past, and we have to celebrate Max for his brilliance and not chastise him for winning all the time.”

There are fears within the sport Verstappen’s stranglehold could force F1’s new Netflix-driven fanbase away.

However, American Szafnauer believes a fourth race in the United States – to follow Miami, Las Vegas and Austin – could be integral in preventing interest from waning.

He continued: “It is amazing what Netflix and the combination of three races in America has done over there.

“We have to keep those fans interested. You don’t want to lose them, and if Max is winning all the time, will that happen?”

Championships earlier this week,” she said. “I landed a bars dismount at one of our final control competitions at Lilleshall and following an MRI scan it was discovered that I’ve torn my ACL. I feel devastated.”